De Roosdonck, Nuenen
De Roosdonck is a windmill in Nuenen, North Brabant, Netherlands, on Gerwenseweg. It is a protected monument (Rijksmonument 30823) and is known as a belt mill (beltmolen).
Built in 1884, it was first planned as a smock mill, but the structure collapsed soon after completion. It was rebuilt as a belt mill, with a pile of sand around the base to make it taller.
Famous painter Vincent van Gogh lived in Nuenen from 1883 to 1885 and painted De Roosdonck seven times. His best-known work from that period, The Potato Eaters, was painted in the nearby cottage.
The mill was built by Antonius van Himbergen from Bladel, who also built the Annemie windmill in Acht and other mills in the area. From 1887 to 1930 it also functioned as an oil mill, using machinery bought from the miller of Sint Victor in Heeze. Flour production stopped in 1959 due to industrial changes, and the mill fell into disrepair.
The local government bought De Roosdonck in 1970 and restored it in 1972, with further work in 1984 and 1996. Since 1995 the mill has been in private hands again, owned by the son of the last professional miller, and it has been open to visitors, selling organic flour.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 14:53 (CET).